Getty Nets teammates Seth Curry and Kevin Durant celebrate following the James Harden trade during the 2021-22 season.
The blockbuster trade to free James Harden from Brooklyn came at a price. The Philadelphia 76ers were forced to include two fan-favorite players in the deal: Seth Curry and Andre Drummond. Those losses reverberated up and down the roster in the second half of the year.
No one is saying it wasn’t worth sacrificing Curry and Drummond to acquire Harden. It was. And the Sixers plan to run it back with the future Hall of Famer. But it’s interesting to ponder how differently the Miami Heat series would have gone with Curry’s three-point shooting and Drummond’s big body clogging the lane. Especially under the microscope of Joel Embiid’s unexpected injuries.
It was something at the front of Embiid’s mind after the Game 6 loss in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The MVP runner-up was asked to comment on the job team president Daryl Morey has done since arriving in 2020. He gave Morey a vote of confidence, then brought up Curry and Drummond unprompted.
Everyone fixated on the Sixers giving up Seth Curry in the James Harden trade, but Andre Drummond was the far more damaging inclusion
“It’s pretty good. Since Daryl has gotten here I think he’s done a fantastic job,” Embiid told reporters on May 12. “Coming in, obviously bringing in Seth [Curry]. Seth was a huge part of what we did. And bringing in Andre [Drummond] which he helped us a lot. I think since they got there, since Daryl has gotten here, he has done a good job as far as team-building.
“There’s a lot of questions that can be asked. I said it earlier, it’s not my job to figure that out. It’s my job to work hard. They [the front office] have a lot of decisions to make. In this league, anybody can get traded. What I can control is just work harder and just get better every single year.”
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Andre Drummond Enters Uncertain Free Agency
The fact of the matter is the Sixers could bring Andre Drummond back. The 28-year-old is an unrestricted free agent with no plans to return to the Brooklyn Nets. Drummond’s stock soared through the roof last season coming off a failed chemistry experiment in Los Angeles during the 2020-21 season.
Andre Drummond powers it down!
The Nets lead in the #MetaQuestPlayIn on TNT
Philadelphia was able to sign him on a cheap $2.4 million contract, but Drummond should command more next year. Something in the range of $8 million per year seems reasonable for a guy who averaged 11.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game over the final 24 games.
“And if we’re all being honest, I’m only here till the rest of the season,” Drummond said, via the New York Daily News. “So who knows what’s gonna happen in the offseason?
Is a reunion with Doc Rivers in store? Maybe. Coach and player have been tight since Drummond’s high school days and text each other all the time. It’s a move that makes sense as the Sixers continue to groom Paul Reed and Charles Bassey.
Seth Curry Under Contract in Brooklyn
Seth Curry’s future appears cut and dry unless the Nets intend to trade him. The 31-year-old is under contract through the 2022-23 season at $8.49 million. Brooklyn announced that Curry underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle on May 9 (via CBS Sports) and he would be ready for the start of training camp.
The Nets now have three players that underwent surgery that are expected to be ready for the start of training camp next season (last week of September).
Joe Harris
Ben Simmons
Seth Curry
His future there seems secure as the Nets like the way his shooting complements Kyrie Irving, Ben Simmons, and Kevin Durant. Curry averaged 14.9 points while shooting 46.8% from the three-point line over his final 19 games.
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Sixers’ Joel Embiid Predicts Crazy Offseason: ‘Anybody Can Get Traded’